Stamford BOE Will Fire Fmr. SHS Principal, Assistant

Report reveals failures by administration involving sex scandal

Several school administrators may be fired following an investigation into a teacher student sex incident at Stamford High School. Superintendent Winifred Hamilton announced this week that the district will move forward in the termination proceedings of former Stamford High Principal Donna Valentine and former Assistant Principal Roth Nordin.

The administrators were arrested back in October and removed from their positions for failing to properly report a sexual relationship between 32-year old English teacher Danielle Watkins and one of her students. Valentine and Nordin were later granted accelerated rehabilitation and Watkins was sentenced to five years in prison.

Hamilton’s decision comes after an investigative report by law firm Pullman and Comley revealed the school administration’s failure to appropriately respond to and report the allegations of the relationship in a timey manner. According to the report, there were “numerous early warnings that should have alerted staff, teachers and administrators to troubling conduct and performance issues of both the teacher and student”

Hamilton also announced the resignation of Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Michael Fernandes, a one-month suspension of Director of Human Resources Stephen Falcone, and written warnings given out to several security guards. The Superintendent says making disciplinary decisions is an ongoing process and there may be additional individuals named at a later date, who will also be impacted. Stay with It’s Relevant for more on this story.